1. Technical Field
This invention relates in general to fiber optic cable management and in particular to a panel for managing the storage of excess lengths of fiber optic cable jumpers.
2. Background Art
Fiber optic cables are used for transmitting voice, data, and video communications. In some installations, a large number of fiber optic cables must be interconnected with others leading throughout the user""s facility. For large systems, storage racks are often used. A storage rack is a vertical rack that supports itself on the floor and holds a number of different fiber optic connector panel housings in bays spaced one on top of the other. The connector panels have a large number of apertures for various connectors/adapters for the fibers. Some of the systems also contain electronics that must be interconnected with the fiber connector panels. In some cases, massive amounts of fiber are required to be stored and routed from the front and back of the frame. Care must be taken in storage to avoid bending the fibers more than a specified radius, normally, 1.25-1.5 inches.
The excess length of fiber optic cable jumpers is typically stored in a panel by coiling the jumper around a hub on the front side of the panel. If the jumper is exceedingly long, a large coil of the cable can be formed that may exceed the capacity of the hub. The coil can be cumbersome and can potentially interfere with the job being performed by the technician. Moreover, such coils create a very cluttered appearance. Although hubs and panels in general could be made larger to accommodate such needs, they may not fit conventionally-sized mounting racks. An improved panel for managing fiber optic cable jumpers is needed.
A panel for managing the storage of fiber optic cable jumpers is disclosed. The panel fits within a conventional storage rack. The panel has a box-like frame with a cavity on its back side. The panel also has a front storage hub and a rear storage hub. The rear hub extends out of the cavity and is coaxial with the front hub. A port is located in the frame adjacent to the hubs. An excess length of a fiber optic cable jumper may be stored by coiling it on either or both of the hubs, depending upon the need and the length of the jumper. The jumper may be inserted through the port in either direction and joined to a fiber optic cable on each end.